Process of making sponge-rubber balls



T W MILLER PROCESS OF MAKING SPONGE RUBBER BALLS.

APPHCATION FILED NOV. 5, I921.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

UN TED S ATE PATENT OFFICE- 'r'rronus w.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnomis wrMrmn, a citizen of the United States,residin at Ashland, county of Ashland,State of io, have 6 inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Sponge-Rubber Balls, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to the manufacture 10 of balls composed ofsponge-rubber, and has for its object to provide an improved process ofmaking the same, whereb there will be praztically no limit to the sizeof the balls me e. I Y

In the manufacture of sponge-rubber, it has been found in practice thatthe unvul- 'canizedrubber nn mixed with a suitable chemical, which,under the vulcanizing heat, will generate the gas necessary to expandthe rubber into a spongy structure, cannot be lifted more than 2% to 4inches at the outside, and, furthermore, under the extreme limit ofexpansion is liable to overcure at the base. This has prevented themanufacture of rubber balls of a diameter greater then apprcirimately 3inches, and it is'the object or my present invention to overcome thisdiiiicnlty so that sponge-rubber balls oi practicallyany size can bemade,

This object, 1 access lish by forming the balls in a plurality oisections of sponge- .rubber, which, when assembled, will constitute asphere or ball, and then uniting the same. in this wey I can form thesesections esch a thickness of, say, from 2 to 3 inches, and by increasinthe number of sections can form complete ball of sponge-rubber ofpractically eny desired size.

in the accompanying drawing Figure l is a sectional view of a solidsponge-rubber ball formed in two sections and united.

' Figure is a similar rubber ball formed in two sections and united, thesame being shown hollow at its center.

Figure 3 is a similar view of a hollow sponge-rubber ball formed in foursections.

Similar numerals of reference denote corres ending parts in the severalviews.

rubber, each covered wit substantialli impervious to the air, as is wellview of a sponge 'm m wsmmn ,Patcnted Mar. 7, 1922; a lianceaucnisma ra'psi. use at. 51am.

ofirubb'er stock capableof vulcanization and a chemical capable of beingdecomposed and thus forming a gas upon the application thereto of thesame de es of heat required for 'vulcanizing the rub er. Thus, therewill be produced two hemispheres of spon ea skin or rin 3 known in t emanufacture of these goods. Two of these sections then ma be united inan suitable manner, such as y cementing, co (1 curing or hot curin andwill consti- 'tute a complete rubber ba 1", each of said sections beingfrom 2 to 3 inches in thickness, thereby forming a ball from four to sixinches in diameter.

In Figure 2, I have shown a similar ball, but formed hollow in itscenter, it being understood that the skin or rind upon the sectionscompletely encloses each of said sections. r Y In Figure 3, I have showna ball combos-ed of four sections 4, 5, 6 and 7, and whiie the same isshown hollow in its center, it will. be understood that these sectionsmay be made solid, shown in Figure i, if desired. By so forming thesesections that when a group of them assembled they will form a sphere, itwill be understood that when permancntiy connected, in the msnnerhereinbefore described, a sponge-rubber ball of practically, anydimension may be formed, noneoi the sections exceeding 3 inches inthickness.

The product is claimed in copending application 513,04 .31 of even date.

Piavin thus fully described my invention, what I c aim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1 The process of making sponge-rubber balls, which consists in firstforming a inrality of sections of sponge rubber w ich when assembledwill form a ball, and then permanently unitin said sections.

2. The process 0 making sponge-rubber balls,-which consists in firstforming a plurality of'sections of sponge rubber which whenassembledwill form a ball, said sections each being formed by expanding under avulcanizing heat rubber stock charged with a chemical which decomposesunder said heat to form a gas, and then permanently unitir filsaidsections. v

3. e process of making sponge-rubber balls, which consists in firstforming a plurality of sections of sponge rubber which 'tiens each being formed by ex an 5' a vulcanizmg heat rubber stoc charged with achemical which decomposes under said heat to form a gas, said sectionswhen formed emhodying an enveloping skin or rind over their entireareas, and then permanently uniting said sections. 10

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

THOMAS W. MILLER.

